The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-09
DIVING FOR TREASURES,
EXPLORING WRECKS AT THE BOT
TOM OF THE OCEAN.
Methods of Reaching Sunken YES
seIs-The Divers Perils-Disposi-
,:ou Of Some Wrecks.


ire annually sunk along our Atlantic
coast has increased so rapidly OF Ia'e
years. writes George L. Walsh IN Har-
per's Weekly, that the art of diving mas
become more than ever an important
one. Stories Of sunken treasures have
been told and retold, until every boy IS
familiar with Captain kldds vessel
which went down sOmewhere-but no
one knows Just where-wlth an unknown
quantity of gold and silver on board;
Every year or two the report IS circulated
that the exact spot has at last been DIS
covered, and divers are set at work 10
rescue the treasure. Although there are
MANY wild stories about such things, 1t
is still matter of fact that millions OF
dollars in the form of precious stones,
golden ornaments, and coined money are
scattered over the bottom of the ocean.
Most of the treasures are in deep water,
where ,hey cannot be reached by the or
binary diver without considerable
danger to life Unlike human bod
les and other things that float
upon the surface of the water until
thrown upon some beach or shore,
wrecked vessels go straight to the bot
tom, and there remain for ages. 1t has
become a common expression TO say that
the 'sea throws up everything" but 1t
does not throw up the golden treasures
that are once put within its grasp. When
a vessel has once filed with water 1t set
ties slowly downward until it strikes the
sandy bottom, where the sharp keel
CRATES and rubs increasingly on the yield
inc floor of the ocean. The action of the
water keeps the vessel in constant mo-
ton, and in due time it becomes half
buried in the sand Then, with volumes
of green water rolling and tumbling over
its head, the once stately vessel looms up
above the surrounding dark objects like
an old deserted mansion. The sea spider
crawls over its deck, the small fishes
breed their young in the cabin, and the
ocean plants and seaweed wind about
the masts and rigging. Gradually the
heap of broken and twisted wood and
iron becomes clothed with thick coat
ing of sea moss, while blossoming
zo0phites, sea weed and focus form q
dense vegetable mantle. In this con
dition the wreck remains until time has
decompOsed the wood and rust eaten uE
the iron, unless rescued by some daring
diver
The longer a vessel has been below the
waves, the more difficult becomes the
work of the diver to reach its treasures
The pressure of the sand frequently
brushes in the sides of the hull and blocks
up the passageway to the cabin, if i
does not bury everything beneath heaI
of broken timber and rubbish. Clearing
away such debris is the most Difficult
task that the diver has to perform, as h
is constantly in danger of severing hi
air-pipe, which supplies him with al
from above, by some of the floating
pieces of wood. Besides this, the CabiI
of the vessel is dark and gloomy, anC
only the expert divers can work in waite
that is pitch dark. 1t is said that those
who have been we'll trained to work il
dark water have their sense of touch S,
finely developed that they can distinguish
a piece of brass from piece of cope
when under water. If the same pieces o
metal were presented to them on table
with their eyes blindfolded, the diver
could not tell the difference, but if put il
a basin of water the distinction between
them would be readily detected. Thi
acute sense of touch enables them to picl
out the gold plates or coins from othe
metals.
In descending to wreck on warn
day the diver is exposed to the pecuiia
danger of going to sleep. The sudde
change from extreme heat to deliciou
GOODNESS induces hstless, sleepy sensa
ton to creep gradually over him, which, !
not thrown off by violent work and ex
ercise of the will, often results disastrous
ly Sometimes, in spite of experience
the diver yields for a moment to tn
temptation, and rests upon the bottom
of the sea or the deck Of the vessel. Tn
result is about the same as when persO
sits down to rest in the snow when nearl
overcome with the cold Sleep inevitab
follows the sitting down. In the case O
the diver, however, the sleep is not a
endless one if he is working in Still
water, where no tides or currents inter
fere with his work But in certain lo
calities, like at the mouth of rivers O
near deep inlets, it is possible to worI
only a short time each day, the risin
tide or changing currents making
dangerous to attempt it at any othe
time than when they are not in activ
motion. TO fall asleep in such a plac
means horrible death to the diver.
sunk in the ocean near the shore ar
found in q very curious way, and with
out the help of diver. If a vessel one
becomes deeply imbedded in the sand
it remains stationary until it decays c
is thrown up by some violent upheava
The sand reefs and bars are changin
their position year after year by the &C
ton Of the water. The sand seems to b
ever in constant motion; washing ava
from one shore and building up anOthe
one. During violent storms sand rect
a mile III length have been known t
change their position, while others hav
disappeared altogether and new one
have been emerged from the water o
another coast at the same time TIL
strongest rocky coast is sometimes unab
to withstand the repeated blows Of NJ
lures heavy battering ram The strengt
of the waves is greater on the surface
the water than below, but during exceI
tiOnally heavy storms the agitatio
extends many fathOms downward. 4
such times the wreck imbedded in tt
sand may be wrenched from its position
and driven with irresistible force upon II
reef. Tons of sand would be carried alOn
with it, and probably the nucleus of
new sandbar be thus formed by the hea
Of rubbish. When a point around whic
the sand can collect is once formed, th
work Of accumulation goes on rapidly.
sort of eddy is formed around the pOin
and the sand IS forced into it with gref
rap,dity, and after being drawn back an
forth for time it is finally deposited mes
the base of the heap This operation COZ
tlnuing for long period soon pushes til
top Of the new reef out of water, whic